Life-preserver.



N. SINKOVICH.

LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION FILED 0120.15. 1916.

1,21 8,909. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 A136 "Q 11 1;1- KY N. SINKOVICH.

LIFE PRESERVER. APPLICATION FILED 05c. 15. 1916.

1 ,21 8,909. Patented Mar. 13, 1917'.

' 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

NICHOLAS SINKOVICH, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lvla g 13, 191 '7,

Application filed December 15, 1916. Serial No. 137,175.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS SINKOVICH, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful. improvements in life preservers.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a life preserver adapted for ready attachment to the body of a person, and arranged with propelling means whereby the person may travel through the water supported upright by the device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a manually propelled float which is of light weight, to be worn by passengers upon shipboard when in danger of being thrown into the water, the device serving to maintain the wearer in an upright floating position for easily traveling to a place of safety.

l/Vith these general objects in view, the device consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like-reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectional view thereof,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the propelling means, parts being broken away, I

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view thereof, and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the propeller adjusting member.

The device broadly consists of a substantially rectangular propeller float 10, formed of any suitable material, such as rubber, the same beingadapted for inflation, to be attached to a person and arranged with a paddle form of propeller 11.

The said float 10 has a concave side 13, adapted to be flatly positioned against the front of the body, while the legs of the individual are positioned through spaced rings 14, swingingly mounted as at 15 to the lower I end 16 of the float, the arms of the wearer being arranged through oppositely positioned loops or rings 17, hingedas at 18, to the upper portion 19 of the float.

A strap collar 20 projects rearwardly from the central slightly depressed portion 21 at the top of the float 10 for encircling the neck of the wearer, while belt straps 22 and 23 are carried by the opposite sides of the float to be secured around the waist of the wearer.

The propeller 11 consists of a shaft 12, j ournaled in the free ends of posts 2 1, which are slidably adjustably positioned upon outwardly extending rods 25, carried by the outer face of the float at the enlarged portion 26 of the latter. Turn cranks 27 are attached to the opposite ends of the shaft 12,

whereby the same is operativel y revolved, a. plurality of paddles or blades 28 being secured to the said shaft upon alternately opposite sides thereof. The blades 28 are adjustably mounted upon the shaft 12, by means of lugs 29 arranged at the ends of the blades and positioned through openings 30 in the said shaft, securing screws 31 retaining the lugs 29 in position with the adjacent edges of the blades 28 contacting the periphery of the shaft 12 longitudinally thereoff The rods 25 are slidably arranged within axial bores 32 of the posts 2 1, while set screws 33 are arranged through the posts 2 1 for engagement within sockets 34 of the rods 25, whereby the said posts and the shaft 12 are retained adjusted at the desired distance from the adjacent outer faces of the float 10.

From this detailed description of the derice the complete operation thereof will be apparent, it being understood that the float may be worn by a person easily and comfortably whenever desired, and when the person is in the water the float sustains the wearer upright so that the cranks 27 may be easily turned for operating the shaft 12 and its paddles 28 in either direction for moving the person through the water. A simple and inexpensive device is arranged adapted to pre vent the drowning of persons in case of ship wreck and imparting comfort and safety to the person wearing the same.

hat I claim as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising an inflated float substantially rectangular in outline, with a concave side adapted for engaging the body of the wearer, leg receiving rings hinged to the lower portion of the float, opposite arm-receiving loops laterally swingingly attached to the upper portion thereof, a rearwardly extending strap-collar mounted centrally upon the upper edge of the float, and a paddle propelling device carried by the front side of the float.

2. A device of the class described comprising an inflated float substantially rectangular in outline with a concave side adapted for engaging the body of the wearer, legreceiving rings hinged to the lower portion of the float, opposite arm-receiving loops laterally swingingly attached to the upper portion thereof, a rearwardly extending strapcollar mounted centrally upon the upper edge of the float, projecting rods carried by the front side of the float, costs adjustahly slidably mounted upon the said rods, an opcrating shaft journaled in the free ends of the said posts, opposite alternately arranged Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, r

posts, blades detachably carried by the shaft alternately arranged, projecting in opposite directions and an operating crank at each end of the said shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NICHOLAS SINKOVIGH.

Washington, D. C. 

